Rohit, K L Rahul play blazing knocks as India post imposing 210/2 against Afghanistan
Abu Dhabi, Nov 3: Rohit Sharma brought his carefree elegance to the table while KL Rahul was classy as ever in India's imposing total of 210 for 2 against Afghanistan in their must-win Super 12 game of the ICC T20 World Cup here on Wednesday.
While they would still have to bear the criticism of having flattered to deceive against Pakistan and New Zealand, Rohit (74 off 47 balls) and KL Rahul (69 off 48 balls) made a mockery of Afghanistan's inexperienced attack, putting up a record 140 runs for the opening stand.
This was also the highest total in this edition of T20 World Cup but one can only hope that it hasn't come two matches too late.
It couldn't be denied that save Rashid Khan, who was taken to task by Rohit in his third over, the other Afghans were pedestrian at best, leaving Hardik Pandya (35 no off 13 balls) and Rishabh Pant (27 no off 13 balls) to feast during the death overs.
The Pandya-Pant duo clobbered 63 runs in 3.3 overs to take the total which looked beyond Afghanistan's reach.
The mid-130s speed of the pacers and lack of swing with not much pace off the track was an ideal recipe for disaster against the two Indian openers, who were smarting after back-to-back failures.
On a track where the ball was gripping, Afghanistan captain Mohammed Nabi started with his off-breaks and introduced left-arm spinner Sharafuddin Ashraf from the other end.
For the two Indian openers, who needed a few big shots to get into the groove, there couldn't have been a more mouth-watering option as Rohit was the first one off the block with an inside-out lofted boundary over extra-cover off Nabi and a lap-shot off Sharafuddin.
When pacer Naveen ul Haq was introduced, Rohit opened his stance to slash the bowler past point and a straight six while Rahul also got his share of boundaries.
The 50 of the innings came in five overs but it was veteran pacer Hamid Hasan, who bowled the last over of the Powerplay to put a brief brake on scoring during that phase after the fielding restrictions were lifted.
However, the good start meant that 85 came off the first 10 overs with both openers looking solid for acceleration towards the back-10.
One of the better boundaries from Rohit was the one which he guided a Gulbadin Naib delivery towards third-man fence, using the bounce to inch towards his half-century.
The 23rd T20 International fifty came when he square-cut an off-colour Naveen to the boundary and Rahul followed suit with a six over square leg off the same bowler and then lofting Gulbadin over extra cover to reach the milestone.
By the time Rashid (0/36 in 4 overs) came for his final spell, Rohit and Rahul were competing to out-score each other.
Rohit saved his best for Rashid when he lofted the spinner towards deep mid-wicket even when he hadn't reached to the pitch of the delivery but the bat-swing did it for him. The next was picture perfect as it was sent soaring into grass banks.
By the time Rohit was out trying to smash Karim Janat over extra cover, he had got eight fours and three sixes.
Rahul was also dismissed within another seven runs, being cleaned up by Gulbadin as he tried to shuffle towards off-stump but by then a solid platform was laid.
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Kolhapur’s Saee Jadhav becomes first woman Territorial Army officer to pass out of IMA
Pune (PTI): Saee Jadhav from Maharashtra’s Kolhapur has become the first woman Territorial Army officer to complete pre-commissioning training at the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Dehradun, breaking the institution’s 93-year-old tradition of male-only officer training.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis congratulated her and said her achievement is an inspiring milestone that gives direction to the dreams of countless young girls across the country.
Jadhav, 23, was commissioned as a Lieutenant during the Passing Out Parade of the 157th course held last week, marking a historic milestone for the IMA, which was established in 1932 and has since produced generations of Army officers.
She was commissioned into the services on December 13 during the commissioning ceremony at IMA, Dehradun.
Speaking to PTI, Saee’s father Sandip Jadhav, a serving major with the Territorial Army, said that Saee has been commissioned into the 130 Territorial Army (ecological ) battalion of Kumaon Regiment at Pithoragarh in Uttarakhand.
Saee is currently pursuing her MBA through distance learning, he said.
“While pursuing her MBA, she was also preparing for competitive exams and TA (Territorial Army). She appeared for the exam in December 2023. There was only one vacancy for a woman officer in TA and since her rank was at the top in merit, she was selected,” said Major Jadhav.
“She is now commissioned into 130 Infantry Battalion (TA) of Kumaon Regiment at Pithoragarh in Uttarakhand,” he said.
Jadhav said her daughter was inclined to join the armed forces, given the family’s armed forces background. “As parents, we feel proud that our daughter followed her dream and chose to serve the nation,” he added.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also congratulated “Marathi Mulgi” Saee.
“She has created history by becoming first woman officer cadet to pass out of IMA in 93 years… It is a matter of immense pride that this honour has gone to a Marathi Mulgi!,” he wrote in a post on X.
“This is not just an individual success story, but an inspiring milestone that gives direction to the dreams of countless young girls across the country. Educated and brought up in Belgaum and originally from Kolhapur, Sai represents the 4th generation of the Jadhav family to carry forward the legacy of service to the nation,” he added.
